Project Management Advisor

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The Office of the Assistant Director (AD) supports the PAHO Director with fulfillment of the Organization’s mission, as well as the achievement of the PAHO Strategic Plan. The Office also provides leadership and good governance for public health in the Americas and in the other regions of World Health Organization (WHO). The Office of the Assistant Director is comprised by five Departments, one Special Program and one Office: Communicable Diseases and Environmental Determinants of Health (CDE), Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH), Health Systems and Services (HSS), Family, Health Promotion and Life Course (FPL) and the Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health (EIH).

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Director, the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

1. Provide strategic and technical advice for the implementation of the Canada Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) Umbrella Grant; manage the financial resources assigned to the project for the effective execution of the Project Implementation Plan, including the development, day-to-day operation, monitoring and evaluation of work plans;
2. Monitor the adequate implementation of the components of the Project; facilitate technical analysis of progress, identify obstacles and propose changes in the interventions, if required, to meet agreed upon results; approve, monitor and evaluate work plans and budgets, and conduct financial management to ensure proper use of grant funds to achieve results agreed upon as per defined indicators;
3. Act as principal liaison with DFATD and the Office of the Assistant Director’s Office, and manage activities as per the Subsidiary Arrangement. This involves responding to requests made by DFATD and keeping DFATD informed on the progress, challenges, successes and financial implementation of the Project;
4. Provide technical and managerial support to all the components of the Project; conduct and participate in site visits, both for detailed planning of activities and tasks, and to monitor and supervise the implementation of the Project as a whole, in coordination with the PAHO/WHO Country Representative offices (PWR) and orientation of the Assistant Director;
5. Collaborate in planning, execution, monitoring and coordination of Headquarters and country based activities, which involve many different partners and subject areas at the local, national and international level, in close coordination with PWR Offices, Focal points in countries and Regional and Subregional Advisors;
6. Develop adequate planning tools and monitoring and evaluation instruments to facilitate programming and reporting on progress and conducting evaluations of the Project components;
7. Oversee the inter-programmatic planning and monitoring of the Project and the incorporation of cross cutting components (gender, cultural diversity and human rights) in its programming;
8. Coordinate the preparation of monitoring and progress reports in accordance with Project agreement, both financial and technical, to be submitted to the donor;
9. Monitor the timely execution of Project funds in collaboration with country and Headquarters entities involved in the Project;
10. Advise and collaborate with the Headquarters entities and Country Office in the preparation of annual work plans, semi-annual progress plans and periodic evaluations for the Project;
11. Coordinate the development of the communication strategy for the DFATD Project;
12. Perform other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Essential: A university degree in a health or social science and a master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, health services administration or any other discipline related to the functions of the post, from an accredited institution.

Desirable: Training in financial management would be an asset.

In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO, only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.

Experience:

Essential: Nine years of combined national and international experience in public health project and program development, monitoring and evaluation, and the design, review, implementation and evaluation of large scale health projects.

SKILLS:

PAHO Competencies:

• Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relates well to diversity in others and capitalizes on such diversity. Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve and build rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the team’s successes and shortcomings.
• Communication: Foresees communication needs of audience and targets message accordingly. Facilitates open communication; encourages others to share their views openly and takes time to understand and consider their views. Writes down ideas in a clear, structured, logical and credible way; drafts and supports the development of guidelines, policies and procedures. Shares relevant information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.
• Creating an empowering and motivating environment: Manages individual and group projects and ensures that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clearly defined, understood and accepted; delegates work appropriately to achieve best results.
• Producing Results: Monitors own and others’ work in a systematic and effective way, ensuring required resources and outputs. Aligns projects with Organization’s mission and objectives. Consistently solves own and team’s problems effectively as needed. Proactively engages in projects and initiatives, accepting demanding goals, in line with Organizational Strategies and Program of Work. Demonstrates accountability for work of team and sets an example, while explicitly articulating lessons learnt for own and team’s benefit.
• Moving forward in a changing environment: Actively supports Organizational change initiatives and demonstrates personal commitment to them, including when faced with new demands; proposes workable solutions to challenging situations. Engages in positive responses to a changing environment and promotes workable solutions to achieve own and team’s results. Welcomes, and actively seeks to apply, new ideas, approaches and working methods and technologies in order to improve own and/or team’s work processes and results; demonstrates commitment to Organizational change initiatives.
• Setting an example: Works ethically to achieve individual work objectives under 'PAHO Regulations and Rules and the Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service. Maintains confidentiality and treats sensitive information with discretion; ensures that policies and procedures are followed in accordance with the Organization's professional, ethical and legal standards. When others behave in an unprofessional or unethical way, promotes appropriate standards and provides feedback in order to remedy the situation; escalates as necessary. Stands by own decisions and actions and accepts responsibility for them. Acts in an open and transparent manner when dealing with others; stands by own and/ team’s decisions or actions and accepts responsibility for them. Acts to promote the Organization’s success.
• Ensuring effective use of resources: Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.

Technical Expertise:

• Expert knowledge and skills in public health administration, project planning and results based management, including resource mobilization and grant and financial management;
• Analytical to develop and propose practical solutions in the planning, monitoring, evaluation and general management of extra-budgetary funded projects;
• Strong analytical skills and ability to analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources;
• Knowledge and understanding of the work of multilateral and bilateral cooperation (health) agencies, and in the field of international public health with experience in family and community health, communicable diseases, health services, gender and cultural diversity including the collection, analysis and dissemination of information;
• Excellent knowledge and expertise in project design, monitoring and evaluation;
• Strong interpersonal skills, diplomacy and tact to effectively communicate with senior level officials, multiple stakeholders and professionals from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds;
• Strong professional oral and writing skills including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use a computer and utilize software programs such as Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint and Outlook. Other IT skills and knowledge of other software programs such as Visio and Project would be an asset.

REMUNERATION

Annual Salary: (Net of taxes)

US$ 73,516.00 post adjustment

Post Adjustment: 50.4% of the above figure(s). This percentage is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.

Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

A written test may be used as a form of screening.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.

For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org

PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

PAHO/WHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary and post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance). Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, dependency benefits, pension plan and health insurance scheme. Benefits for internationally recruited staff may include home leave, travel and removal expenses on appointment and separation, education grant for dependent children, assignment grant and rental subsidy.

Candidates appointed to an international post with PAHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post.

Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. A written test and/or interview will be held for this post. The post description is the official documentation for organization purposes.